1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to new water-insoluble proteinic preparations in which a protein or polypeptide is bound to a copolymer, to a process for the production of these new preparations, and to their use for carrying out enzyme-catalyzable reactions.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The covalent bonding of substances to insoluble polymeric carriers has gained increasingly in importance in recent years. The binding of catalytically active compounds, for example enzymes, offers particular advantages since they can, in this form, be easily separated off after completion of the reaction and repeatedly reused.
Copolymers of maleic anhydride and vinyl compounds have already been proposed repeatedly as carriers with suitable binding groups. However, copolymers of maleic anhydride with ethylene and monovinyl compounds become more or less water-soluble on reaction with aqueous enzyme solutions so that before or during the reaction, an additional crosslinking agent, for example a diamine, is desirably added. Enzyme preparations obtained in this way are relatively difficult to filter and possess soluble constituents, and losses of bound enzyme results (compare E. Katchalski, Biochemistry 3, (1964), pages 1905-1919).
Further, copolymers of acrylamide and maleic acid have been described which are converted into the anhydride form by subsequent heating. These products are relatively slightly crosslinked, swell very markedly in water and only possess moderate mechanical stability which leads to abrasion losses when using these resins (compare German Offenlegungsschrift 1 908 290).
Furthermore, strongly crosslinked carrier polymers have been produced by copolymerization of maleic anhydride with divinyl ethers. Because of the alternating type of copolymerization of the monomers, these polymers contain a very high proportion of anhydride groups - in each case above 50 % by weight of maleic anhydride, in the examples disclosed - which is determined by the molecular weight of the vinyl ether monomer and is therefore only adaptable to the particular end use within relatively narrow limits (compare German Offenlegungsschrift 2 008 996).
We have therefore attempted to find new reaction products of proteins and peptides with new, strongly crosslinked, water-swellable copolymers possessing a content of cyclic dicarboxylic acid anhydride groups capable of great variation, and a convenient process for their production. The new reaction products of proteins and peptides with the new copolymers do not have the disadvantages of the previously known protein preparations or at least, have them to a slighter extent.